Chandler Parsons out, RIP Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks, left to right, Chandler Parsons, David Lee, and Dirk Nowitzki should maintain this glum look about their postseason prospects. Jim CowsertSpecial to the Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, left to right, Chandler Parsons, David Lee, and Dirk Nowitzki should maintain this glum look about their postseason prospects. Jim CowsertSpecial to the Star-Telegram

In an ideal world, the Dallas Mavericks fall to the eighth seed and set up the greatest upset in NBA history to exact revenge in the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors.

Ideally, the Mavs are the eighth seed and upset the top-seeded Warriors in six games in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. In doing so, the Mavs will exact revenge on the Warriors after they dumped them in an 8/1 matchup in 2007.

That was the season the Mavs led the NBA with 67 wins, but lost to the eighth-seeded Warriors in the first round and Baron Davis and Mark Cuban’s good buddy, Don Nelson.

Yeah - not happening .... but if we lose our ability to hope and dream we are no different than the animals.

Premium content for only $0.99

Small forward Chandler Parsons is likely out for the rest of the regular season with a torn meniscus in his right knee. This was first reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Parsons suffered an injury to the same knee last spring that required microfacture surgery and delayed his start to the regular season.

Parsons was averaging 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 61 games this season.

His departure from the team this season will be the final blow to the Mavs’ chances of making the playoffs. The team is 35-35 and is now in the eighth spot - one game ahead of the Utah Jazz.

The bigger concern is not what Parsons’ departure does to the team this season but next. Provided his surgery and rehab go well, he should be ready for the start of the 2016-’17 season, but for whom?

He’s coming back here, even if he shouldn’t.

Parsons will have a chance to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer. And he will.

The NBA is expected to be flush with cash for teams to blow on overrated players and Parsons, 27, even with his injuries, will be attractive. He’s a big, fluid player who can put the ball on the floor and score.

He is expected to be offered a max contract by a desperate team. Expect the Mavs to match, even if it does not make sense. It is zero secret that he and team owner Mark Cuban are buddies, and Marky Mark normally likes to take care of the guys he likes.

Parsons remains Cuban’s “biggest” big fish free agent he landed since he blew up the title team. Parsons was the “recruiter” who landed DeAndre Jordan over the summer. That worked out well.

The problem with Parsons isn’t that he’s not a good player, it’s whether a team can be good at the higher levels if he is one of your best players.

By now the Mavs should know that, but it doesn’t matter. Mark Cuban likes Chandler Parsons and that’s why Chandler Parsons will return with a max deal on a bad knee.